Fluid-tight joint



W. H. SUIVIBLING.

FLUID TIGHT JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7| 1920.

Patented Sept. 19, 1922,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY SUMBLING, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO SUMBLING MACHINERY COMPANY, LIMITED, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA. I'

FLUID-TIGHT JOINT.

Application led June 7, 1920. Serial No. 387,120.

To all wko/m. it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM HENRY SUMBLING, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in the city of Toronto, county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Tight Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fluid-tight joints, and the object of the invention is to provide a relatively cheap yet positive joint to render vessels of various sorts fluid-tight irrespective of changes in temperature, and more specifically to make the "Casin of a washing machine watertight, an in the following specification I shall describe the construction of the preferred form of my invention as applied to washing machines, and what I claim as new will be set fort-h in the claims forming part of this specification.

The drawing is a horizontal longitudinal section through a vessel provided with a water-tight joint made according to my invention.

As far as I am aware, no fluid-tight joint has been designed embodying the principle of my joint, (the efficiency of which is not impaired by change in temperature), wherein the end of the body-portion of the vessel co-acts with a sloping wall formed in the inner side of the closure-member therefor, in such a manner as to jam a packing laterally between said body-portion and said closure-member, the force holding the said closure-member and the body-portion in cooperative relationship being exerted longitudinally, transversely, or vertically of `t-he vessel.

The end of the body-portion of the vessel will be some distance from the bottom of the roove, and consequently should the packing shrink, the binding meanscan be adjusted to increase the pressure agamst the said packing and so keep the joint fluidtight. The said packing AWill always be so associated with said closure member that the body-portion will laterally be held in spaced relation thereto; therefore, since the end of said body-portion will be held in spaced relation to the bottom of the groove, or the bottom of said sloping wall, and having in view the spaced relation laterally between the said body-portion and said closure member, the necessary space is provided to allow for adjustments, which-adjustments may be rendered necessary (a) in order to increase pressure againstv the packing in case the same should shrink, and (b) in case of deterioration of t-he vsaid end of the bodyportion (for instance through the action of rust when` said body-portion is made of metal) which would necessarily require adjustment of the elements to exert the necessary pressure against the'packing.

One very important object resulting from a joint embodying the principle of my invention -is that the packing can be readily removed and replaced by fresh packing when occasion reqmres.

When a vessel constructed with a joint embodying the principle of my invention is made of wood, of course the expansion and contraction thereof will be practically negligible, and so consequently the pressure exerted against the packing will be substantially constant. Butshould the body-portion as well as the closure-member. be made of metal, by reason of the provision allowed for free expansion, there will be no danger of the body-portion buckling, because the end of the body-portion will be free to ride upon the said sloped wall.

The preferred form of binding means will be so located that it will practically not be iniiuenced by any change in temperature within the vessel resultin in an advantage well understood by one skilled in the art.

A lis the body-portion of the washing machine used as an exemplary means for the disclosure of my invention, and this bodyportion is shown as closed by closure-members B and C preferably made of metal.

In my preferred form of joint, I form in the inner side of each vclosure-members B and C, a groove D having a sloping Wall E. The other wall F of the said groove, for cheapness of manufacture, extends preferabl longitudinally of the body-portion A, an formed therein is a groove G in which` is mounted any suitable packing H which extends preferably beyond the face of the wall F. Each end of the body portion A rides upon the sloping wall E of its associated groove D, and when pressure is eX- erted longitudinally of the body-portion A, the sloping wall E will compel each end portion of the body-portion A to more or less expand and snugly hug the packing H and keep the same snugly packed within the Agroove G so as to prevent leakage. lt is The preferred means of holding'the body 4 portion A and the closure-members B and C in co-operative relationship is in the form of tie-rods J which are disposed longitudinally of said body-portion and pass through holes K formed in the said closure-members B and C. Suitable fastening means, preferably in the form of nuts L are threaded on the outer ends of said tie-rods and jam against the closure-members B and C.

Since the ends of the body-portion A do not rest in contact With the bottom 2 of the groove D, it is self-evident that the said ends, co-acting with the sloping walls E will allow for expansion and contraction and yet maintain the joint fluid-tight.

By making the closure-members B and C of metal, the grooves before referred to can be readily turned therein without very much cost.

Obviously a vessel may be constructed embodying-the principle of my joint, one end of which may be open.

Various changes in details of construction will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art without departing from the scope lof my claims.

What I claim is 1. The combination of a closure member having an annular groove formed in its inner side so as to provide two opposing walls, one of which is sloped; a packing associated with the other of said walls and projecting therebeyond; a body-portion, having its end resting directly in thrustcontact with said sloped wall and in spaced relation to the bottom of, said groove, and held in spaced relation to said other wall by said packing; and means exerting pressure to hold said body-portion and closure member in co-operative relationship, so as to cause said body-portion to press with suflicient pressure against said packing.

2. The combination of va closure member having an annular groove formed in its inner-side so as to provide two opposing walls, one of which slopes outwardly; a packing associated with the other of said walls and projecting therebeyond; a bodyportion, having its end resting directly in thrust contact with said sloped Wall and in spaced relation to the bottom of said groove, and held in spaced relation to said other wall by said packing; and means exerting pressure to holdsaid .body-portion and closure member in co-operative relationship, so as to cause said body-portion to press with sullcient pressure against said packing.

3. The combination of a closure member having an annular groove 4formed in its inner side so as to provide two opposing walls, one of which is sloped, and the other of which is provided with a. groove; a packing held inthe groove ofsaid groove-pro vided wall and projecting therebeyond; a body-portion having its end resting directly in thrust contact with said sloped wall and permanently held in spaced relation to said other wall by said packing; and means exerting pressure to hold said body-portion and closure member in (2o-operative relationship, so as to cause said body-portion to press with sufiicient pressure against said packing.

4. The combination of a pair of closuremembers each provided with a groove on its inner side each having an inner outward sloping wall, and a grooved wall facing said sloping wall; a body-portion having its ends placed in said grooves directly in thrust contact each with its associated sloping wall; a packing in the groove formed in said other walls and located between said closure-members and the side of said body-portion; the said sloping walls when said closure-members and body-portion are held in co-operativerelationship outwardly displacing the said ends so as to jam said packing in place,

and tie-rods mounted in said closure-members and adapted to hold the same and said body-portion in co-operative relationship, for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of a closure member having a sloping surface on its inner side, and adapted to carry a suitable packing; a body-portion having its end resting directly in thrust contact with said surface, and laterally contacting with said packing, which packing holds said body-portion laterally in spaced relation to said closure member, and means exerting pressure to hold said body-portion and said closure member in cooperative relationship, for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM HENRY SUMBLING.

BIS 

